Improvement in corn-planters



n'rENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. WELTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES RAYBURN AND ROBERT WV. KING.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 64,624, dated June 15, 1875; application filed April 9, 1875.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES K. WELTE'R, of Chica-go, in the county of Oook and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Corn-Planters; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a corn-planter, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my coln-planter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. is a section through one of the corn-boxes. Fig. et is a view of one of the corn-coverers.

The frame of my corn-planter is composed of a front beam, A, near each end on top of which is secured a side beam, B. These two side beams extend toward the rear, and approach each other gradually, as shown in Fig. l, and a suitable distance from their rear ends they are let into and rmly secured to a beam, O, running parallel with the front beam A. On the beam O, near each end, is secured the corn box or hopper D, held firmly in position by means of a bar, E, which is supported on the extreme ends of the inclined side beams B B, and its ends attached to the rear sides of the corn-boxes. In the bottom of each box D is an aperture, c, for the passage of the corn down through the conductor G which is secured to the beam O. H represents the runner or furrow opener attached to and connecting the front beam A, and the lower end of the conductor G. On the bottom of each cornbox D is a slide, I, having two holes or apertures, b b, and above the slide in the box is a plate, J with an elongated central slot, d, said plate being stationary, and provided in the center with a slotted block, K, rounded on its upper surface. On top of this block is secured a spring, f, which extends down along the slotted sides of the block, the extreme Fig. 3 j

ends of the spring bein g bent inward, as shown in Fig. 3, immediately over the slide I, and form a flexible cut-off for the same, to prevent more than the desired quantity of corn to pass down through the conductor. The two slides I I are connected by a rod or bar, e, and operated by a hand-lever, M, or other suitable means. L represents the shoe or coverer in rear of each conductor, and consists of a curved plate with inclined flanges?) c' on its upper surface, the front end of the plates being forked and pivoted to the lower end of the conductor, as shown. The coverer L is held in any desired position, by means of two rods or braces, 71J h, pivoted to the flanges i 11, and extending up to the bar E, to which they are fastened by suitable bolts. The upper ends of the braces l7L h are provided with two or more holes, so that they can be raised or lowered at will, to adjust the coverer in the desired position. In whatever position the coverer is held, it is perfectly rigid. On each of the side pieces B is fastened an adjustable plate or stand, N, having a spindle at its lower end on which the wheel O is placed. By adj usting the stands N up or down the depth at which runners will enter the ground is easily regulated. On the center of the front beam A are two ears, 7s k, between which the tongue P is pivoted, the rear end of the tongue working in a flanged casting, m, secured ou the front of the beam O. On the tongue P is secured the seat-supporting arm R. This arm is provided with a seat, S, at its extreme end, and another seat, S', farther down on the arm, so that the driver, by changing his position, can bring the weight on the furrow-openers, or on the front wheels, as required. Back ot' the lower seat S there is a slot in the arm through which projects a notched lever, T, to catch on a pin, w, in the slot of the arm.

By the use of this lever, the frame may be turned so as to raise the runners out of the ground, when desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The flexible cut-off, consisting of the slotted block K, and curved spring f, having its extreme ends curved inward, in combina- O O, the pivoted tongue I), flanged casting m, arm It, with seats S S', and pivoted notched lever T, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March, 1875.

JAMES K. WELTER.

Witnesses:

M. WATKINs, NVM. H. STANDIsH. 

